The Intentional Divorce Library
Divorce comes with more financial questions than anyone expects. This is where you'll find real answers on asset division, budgeting, retirement, and the mistakes that quietly cost women the most, written by a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who has helped clients navigate exactly what you're facing now.
No fluff, no fear tactics. Just the information you need to make clear-eyed decisions and protect the life you're building next.
Not sure where to start?
Every article here is written for a particular moment. Start with the stage that matches where you are, and you will find the handful of pieces that actually apply to you.
- I am considering divorce. Can I afford it, what happens to the house, what should I know before talking to an attorney.
- I am preparing for divorce. Documents, credit, insurance, retirement accounts, and choosing your professional team.
- I am going through divorce. The house, support, dividing retirement, QDROs, taxes, and evaluating a settlement.
- My divorce is final. Retitling assets, confirming the QDRO, beneficiaries, rebuilding cash flow and credit.
Browsing by topic instead? Every category is listed in the sidebar, from QDROs and the family home to co-parenting and life after divorce.
A client came to me a couple of years ago, right before Christmas, worried about money. Very specific money. Her furnace was failing and her roof needed work, the kind of repairs that could not be put off another season. She knew the number to the dollar. She had run it more than once, mostly becaus...
Whether you are in the thick of it or just starting to find your footing on the other side, these episodes were made for you.
If you have been searching for honest, helpful guidance on divorce, the kind that does not sugarcoat the hard parts but also does not leave you drowning in them, you are in t...
Ohio does not license divorce mediators, so credentials vary widely and anyone may use the title. What to look for instead: specific divorce mediation experience rather than general dispute resolution, completion of the 40-hour specialized family mediation training the Supreme Court of Ohio certifie...
I need to tell you something that might sound counterintuitive when you're in the thick of divorce:
This isn't a battle to win. It's a puzzle to solve.
I know that feels wrong when emotions are running high. When you feel betrayed. When your attorney is talking about "leverage" and "positioning." Wh...
A holiday boundary is simply a clear expectation about how you will interact: non-emergency messages answered during business hours only, the parenting plan followed as agreed, joint family events declined if they cost more than they give. State it calmly once, then follow through. Boundaries feel u...
by Liesel Darby, M.Ed., M.A., CC - Divorce Mediator & Certified Divorce Coach
Two Words for the Same Moment
Consider the word "chaos." The images that come to my mind all have speed in them. Something happened fast, out of the blue, and your world is suddenly upside down. Chaos is the opposite of co...
Communicating with a difficult ex works best when you stop trying to change them and start controlling your own side of it. Keep responses brief, factual, friendly and firm. Answer only what was actually asked. Do not defend yourself against bait. Move the conversation to a documented platform if it...
If you are divorcing a narcissist, you already know that this is not a normal divorce.
Normal divorce is hard. Divorcing a narcissist is something else entirely. The manipulation, the gaslighting, the hidden assets, the refusal to settle reasonably, the way they can make you question your own memory...
The best co-parenting app is the one both parents will actually use. If your communication is broadly civil, a shared calendar may be all you need. If it is contentious, or if anything might end up in front of a judge, choose a platform that keeps an unalterable record: OurFamilyWizard and TalkingPa...
Yes, and it is more achievable than most people expect. An amicable divorce does not mean you like each other or agree on much. It means you handle the process without going to war: talking directly instead of through attorneys, keeping the decisions with you rather than a judge, and choosing repeat...
Ways to Manage the Stress of Parenting Conflict
For most of us, the holiday season is full of decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping gifts, and parties. While this can all be fun, we all know it's also stressful!
Then, there is the added pressure of parenting. School grading periods are ending, and ...
Online divorce mediation works the same way as in-person mediation, over video instead of in a room. A neutral mediator facilitates the conversation, screens are shared so you can see the agreement being built in real time, and sessions can be scheduled outside standard office hours. For most couple...
